So. After 16 visits to Las Vegas, and a couple of trips to Atlantic City, I made my first trip to Biloxi back in August (see the Biloxi board for my TR from that trip).
Meaning, the last major American gambling mecca I hadn%26#39;t visited was Tunica. Living in Alabama, only about a 4.5 hour drive away, I decided it was time for a quick one-night trip. I%26#39;d hoped to get a comped room from either HET or MGM/Mirage, but it wasn%26#39;t in the cards (ha ha!).
I checked out the maps of Tunica and decided I wanted to stay at the ';Casino Center'; -- home to the Gold Strike, Horseshoe, and Sheraton properties. I%26#39;m used to Vegas, used to casinos being within walking distance of each other. I tend to drink while I gamble, and obviously I don%26#39;t want to have to drive once I start drinking. So I figured staying at the Casino Center was my best bet. (Again, ha ha!).
(I%26#39;d also -- mistakenly -- believed that Bally%26#39;s would be an easy walk from Casino Center. It is not, at least not in the dark.)
Of the three CC properties, I got the best rate ($40) at the Horseshoe, so I booked it.
I arrived on Sunday afternoon, driving in on highway 61. I passed the entrance to Harrah%26#39;s and followed my directions to Casino Center.
Arriving in Tunica is (obviously) a very different experience than arriving in Vegas or even Biloxi. All the Tunica casinos are so spread-out, have so much land around them. Really a different experience for me.
Anyway, I pulled in to the parking lot and checked in at the Horseshoe. The parking lot was maybe half-full. The desk clerk got me checked in quickly, and I headed upstairs to my second floor room.
The room was a bit of a disappointment. Firstly, it was a LONG walk from the elevators. I counted, and I passed 48 rooms on the way to mine.
Secondly, the room had NO view out the window. I was looking directly at a roof-top air conditioning unit. And the window was small and tucked into a corner, making the whole room dark.
For a one night stay, not a big deal at all. If I%26#39;d been staying for a week or something, I would have asked to move. But it was just a ';Classic'; room, the cheapest of their room classifications. So you get what you pay for!
(And maybe I was spoiled by my one-night stay at the Grand Biloxi, when I was upgraded to a suite for free!)
But the furnishings in the room were nice and new, and the 42'; flat screen TV was a nice touch. Bathroom was tucked into a corner, clean and new, if a little small. But just me, so it was no problem.
I dropped my bag off in the room, found my players cards, and headed out to explore.
I made a lap through the Horseshoe and Sheraton casinos, just getting a feel for where things where, looking for my favorite slots, etc. Then, I headed into the Gold Strike. I played some video poker at the Stage Bar while I watched the end of the Giants/Steelers game on their projection screen TV.
Drink service was quick and friendly. And, prices were cheap -- when I stopped gambling and paid for my beers, a Heineken was only $3.25. That beer would have cost me $5 in Vegas.
My original plan had been to spend the entire afternoon/evening at the three Casino Center hotels. But after walking through them, I didn%26#39;t really see a great place for dinner. I wanted to be able to watch the World Series game 4 while I ate, and none of the three CC casinos seemed to have a sports bar/grill.
So I decided to jump in the car and head over to Harrah%26#39;s. As I said above, I don%26#39;t really like to drive once I%26#39;ve been drinking. But I%26#39;d spaced out the beers pretty well and didn%26#39;t have a buzz on.
I had to grab my car keys from the room, so another looooonnngg round trip walk down the Horseshoe%26#39;s second floor hallway. Then, back to the parking lot and my car.
I made a brief stop at Bally%26#39;s just to see what it was like. Looked like a big barn -- wooden floors, a restaurant called ';The Silo,'; etc. Didn%26#39;t stay long.
Found my way over to Harrah%26#39;s. This is the most ';Vegas-like'; casino in Tunica to me. First off, it%26#39;s HUGE! And secondly, the vibe just feels like Vegas.
It%26#39;s sort of odd to me that two of their three hotel towers are across the street, requiring a car or shuttle ride to reach the casino. That%26#39;s the main reason I didn%26#39;t want to stay at Harrah%26#39;s. But I certainly would if I could get a room in the Casino Tower.
Anyway, I headed in to the casino and was pleased to see they had my favorite table game, ';Rapid Roulette.'; Sort of a cross between a table game and an electronic game, I suppose.
I played RR for an hour or so, up and down with the winnings. Drink service was sporadic.
Eventually, though, I was out of my initial investment, so I left. It was just about time for first pitch of the baseball game, so I headed upstairs to ';Replays,'; Harrah%26#39;s sports bar. It%26#39;s upstairs next to the Paula Deen Buffet. It wasn%26#39;t very crowded, and I was able to easily get a seat at the bar.
I had a couple of beers before switching to water, along with a half-slab of ribs. They were tasty, with a tangy sauce and served with fries and coleslaw. I stayed through about half the game, then headed back to the Horseshoe.
Back at the Horseshoe, I sat in the (relative) quiet of the lobby for a few minutes so I could call my wife, check on the little one.
After that, I headed to the ';River Bar'; and watched the rest of the baseball game. Decided not to gamble, just paid for my beers instead. Import beers were $4 here, more expensive than Gold Strike, but still not bad.
Once the Phillies had finished demolishing the Rays (10-2!) I decided to play some slots. One of my favorite machines in Vegas is called ';Cash Time,'; and I found a 50 cent version of it at Horseshoe. I played for about an hour and a half, turning my initial $80 investment into $200 when all was said and done. Nice.
I headed upstairs around 12:30 AM and quickly crashed out for the night.
I slept very soundly in the super-comfy bed (and the very dark room helped too, I%26#39;m sure). Hotel was quiet until around 7:30-8:00, when I started to hear doors slamming.
I lounged around and watched SportsCenter on the flat screen TV for a bit before cleaning up and packing my bags. The room DID have a coffee maker, another welcome change from Vegas casinos.
I checked out via the TV remote and took my bags down to the car. I headed back over to Harrah%26#39;s, eager to try the Paula Deen Buffet.
Generally, I%26#39;m not a huge buffet fan. But when I do hit a buffet, I like to do so at breakfast time. For some reason, breakfast buffets appeal to me, not so much at lunch or dinner.
I had enough credits on my Total Rewards card to pay for the breakfast buffet, and I was quickly seated.
I made several trips to the various buffet station. Everything was fresh, well-labeled, and excellent. The hash brown casserole was especially good. There was a custom omelet station, various eggs and breakfast meats, delicious cheese biscuits, lots of fruit, and more I%26#39;m probably forgetting.
Coffee service from the waitresses was quick, my cup was never less than half full.
Stuffed from breakfast, I rolled back downstairs and had some more luck on a Cash Time machine, a $0.25 version this time. I was hoping the Rapid Roulette table would be open, but as it neared 11:00, it was still closed.
I needed to hit the road by 1:00 or so, and I still wanted to see some of Tunica%26#39;s other casinos. So I left Harrah%26#39;s (making a quick drive across the street to see the other two hotel towers) and headed down towards Sam%26#39;s Town. I passed cotton fields -- some being harvested -- as I made the 20 minute drive.
Sam%26#39;s Town is directly across the street from the Hollywood Casino and the Resorts Casino. I wanted to see all three, and I stopped at Sam%26#39;s Town first.
ST advertises that they have ';Vegas Action, Southern Style'; and it was a pretty Vegas-like casino. I haven%26#39;t actually been to the Sam%26#39;s Town in Vegas, so I can%26#39;t say how it compares, though others tell me it%26#39;s virtually identical to the Vegas location. They of course played up the wild west / frontier town theme.
I made a quick stop at the players club desk. Boyd Gaming, owner%26#39;s of Sam%26#39;s Town, now also owns the ';Station Casinos'; and ';Coast Casinos'; brands. They are combining all of their players clubs into the new ';B-Connected'; club. I stopped at the desk to get my new card, and the clerk pulled up my information and combined the points from the formerly separate accounts.
I browsed through the very large casino, playing a few slots here and there. Nice layout, easy to get around.
Then, I headed across the street to make quick stops at both Hollywood and Resorts. Hollywood had a theme based on its name, of course. Lots of vintage movie posters and other Hollywood memorabilia. Resorts was a smaller casino, and I made just a quick lap through the casino floor.
Nearing the end of my time in Tunica, I decided to check out the ';Fitz'; casino before I hit the road. I followed the signs to Fitz, again marveling at how far apart these casinos are from each other, and how much land they own. I parked at the Fitz%26#39;s covered parking deck, and went inside to check out the casino.
Pretty similar to the others, I didn%26#39;t spend a lot of time in Fitz. Unlike most of the other casinos, Fitz had slot machines on both the 1st and 2nd floors. Also on the 2nd floor was the buffett, which was closed for three days (Oct 27-29) for some quick renovations. There were also some nice views of the Mississippi River from a second-floor window.
After that, having stopped in all 9 Tunica casinos, it was time to go, and I hit the road for the long drive back to Birmingham.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Tunica Resorts is an odd place, and it feels like what it is: a rural farming community with casinos dropped in just for the revenue they produce. There%26#39;s nothing much else in the community, save for a few smaller hotels next to acres and acres of cotton fields.
Originally, when the casinos were built, they were required by law to be on barges in the river. I know that post-hurricanes, some of these rules have been relaxed, and in Biloxi, there are now casinos built on land. Not sure if the rules were relaxed statewide, or just for Biloxi.
In any case, the requirement for casinos to be floating barges creates some odd situations, where the hotels and casinos are in separate buildings. In most, they are within walking distance. But for some -- like Bally%26#39;s, and like the Veranda and Terrace towers at Harrah%26#39;s -- you%26#39;d have to ride in a car or shuttle to get from your hotel room to the casino. I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;d like staying somewhere like that.
Truthfully, I don%26#39;t know if I%26#39;d return to Tunica any time soon. I try and go to Vegas 3-4 times a year, and for a local fix, I think I%26#39;d return to Biloxi before Tunica. Biloxi is almost as close for me -- just about a 30 minute longer drive. And the beach location is more appealing to me as well.
The average age of the gamblers in Tunica is substantially older than Vegas or Biloxi. Not really a problem for me, but it means that the restaurants and lounges are maybe trying to appeal to a demographic I%26#39;m not a part of.
I also felt like I spent more time in the car in Tunica. Although the Biloxi casinos aren%26#39;t within walking distance of each other either (except Hard Rock/Beau Rivage and IP/Boomtown), they are generally closer to each other.
But I%26#39;m not sorry I went to Tunica -- I had a good time, and I%26#39;ve always wanted to see what it was like. Harrah%26#39;s was a gorgeous casino, easily my favorite of the nine. If I do return to Tunica and can get a decently-priced room in the casino tower, it would be my first choice. Both Replays and the Paula Deen Buffet were excellent.
Thanks for reading!!
Trip Report, October 26-27, a Vegas Veteran in Tunica
Hi there...appreciate your comments and agree with you about Tunica. We drive through Biloxi and Tunica on our trip home from visiting our daughter every year so have a routine established!
Harrah%26#39;s was originally the Grand Casino, so they assumed the Terrace and Veranda hotels with the purchase of the casino (and hotel by the casino)
I was going to reply and let you know that Mississippi law required the casinos to be built on water (in this case the river) but see you added that at the end. The way the river meanders, I guess that%26#39;s why they decided to build the casinos in pods and it makes for an interesting arrangement.
I also agree that the average age of many gamblers in Tunica is older, and I also know that many of them are on bus tours that also take them to Branson...I won%26#39;t say more since my hair gives away the fact that I%26#39;m slowly creeping to be part of that age group! LOL
Glad you took time to post, and I%26#39;ll see you back in the Vegas forum :)
Trip Report, October 26-27, a Vegas Veteran in Tunica
Thanks for TR I am heading to Tunica in 4 days. I will use your advice. Only a short 2 days so all advice is appreciated. I will head to Biloxi after that. I agree about the coffee pots in rooms. I have to have my coffee and every hotel I checked in those cities came with coffee. Some of the rooms in Vegas are finally putting them in YEA.
Wish me luck
LIG
great TR. We had a lot of the same feelings. Wish there were some places to eat outside the casinos.
Enjoyed your trip report! You took me down memory lane of my first visit to Tunica. You are correct, Tunica is nothing like Vegas ... I love Vegas ...; however, I also love Tunica - it is great ';filler'; between my visits to Vegas. As a matter of fact, I will be heading back to the ';Vegas'; of the South in a few weeks.
Thank you very much for the report! :)
Great report...thanks for sharing.
I%26#39;m a hour and a half north of you in Huntsville, so I%26#39;ve got about a 4 hr drive over to Tunica myself.
I just got comped from MGMirage for 2 free weeknights or 1 free weekend night as well as two free buffets. I%26#39;m staying at the Gold Strike Dec 12 %26amp; 13th!.
Thanks to all for your comments. Ducky, it was your recommendation that got me to try the Paula Deen Buffet, so thanks! Well worth it!
BamaJack, have fun in December. How%26#39;s the drive from Huntsville to Memphis/Tunica? Since you%26#39;re north of me, seems like it should be a bit shorter drive.
I wanted to stay at the Gold Strike this time, but every time I checked these dates, the website said they were sold out. Didn%26#39;t seem that crowded to me.
';BamaJack, have fun in December. How%26#39;s the drive from Huntsville to Memphis/Tunica? Since you%26#39;re north of me, seems like it should be a bit shorter drive.';
It%26#39;s a straight shot west on US Highway 72 to Memphis then down to Tunica.
Not too bad a drive, around 4 hrs or so, but its 4- lane most of the way.
Not bad at all. Took me almost exactly 4:15. Mostly US 78 / the future Interstate 22. Interstate-grade through most of Alabama and all of Mississippi.
Paul, great report. A car is very useful for transportation. I found the Interstaste Route 61 in Memphis to have terrific bar b que. Dixie.
Thanks for sharing. We also visit Vegas often but knew we couldn%26#39;t compare Tunica to the LV experience. We just returned from Tunica...getting ready to write the TR next.
